Racist anti-Filipino screed from American Canyon goes viral

City Council?members, city staffers and community members, with signs reading "We (heart) everyone in American Canyon," and chanting "We are one!," joined Mayor Leon Garcia for a march from City Hall to the Napa Junction shopping center, where they braved the cold drizzle to express their outrage?over?a racist letter sent from and to American Canyon residents,?that went viral this week. Garcia said the rant did not reflect the attitude of American Canyon, shouldn't be allowed to define the city?and that "we get to deicde who we are." (Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald)

AMERICAN CANYON -- American Canyon police want to know who is responsible for a racist rant targeting Filipinos that went viral on the Internet in recent days.

Though unsure what laws might have been broken by it, American Canyon Police Chief Jean Donaldson said Wednesday his office is investigating the letter, which appears to be on letterhead from the state agency overseeing beauty parlors. However, it is signed by "Concerned American Canyon Neighbors." It uses racially charged language to disparage a local salon owner, and Filipinos in general.

In response, city officials organized a walk Wednesday in support of cultural diversity and in opposition to intolerance, City Manager Dana Shigley said.

Calling the missive "hugely offensive," Donaldson said, "we are investigating. There are laws against threatening hate mail, but since there's no threats of violence contained in it, it may not rise to the level of a hate crime, but we're concerned about someone willing to send something like that out, so we'd like to find that person so we can talk to them."

Though addressed to Maria Aida Ignacio Brandes of American Canyon, the letter, in which Filipinos are called "unwanted," "filthy" and "scum," was also evidently mailed to at least one other person in town. American Canyon resident Derek Valencia got one and posted it on Facebook, where it took off. With his post, Valencia asked if anyone else got the letter. It wasn't immediately clear if they had. The letter has since been featured in several articles, including one in the website Huffington Post.

Valencia and Brandes couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday, but the State Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Barbering & Cosmetology spokesman Russ Heimrich said he was familiar with the item and "more than anxious to give our reaction."

Brandes is a cosmetologist whose license is current and in good standing, Heimrich said. He could find no complaints about her or a manicurist, Minh T. Nguyen, also mentioned in the missive.

"No one should think this is from our department," Heimrich said. "We think this is disgusting and despicable and will work with the appropriate authorities to find out who's behind it."

People have tried to "impersonate" his agency on websites before, but "nothing like this (has happened) -- not for the purpose of disgusting racist rants," he said.

Department officials were made aware of the letter Tuesday when someone emailed them the Huffington Post piece, Heimrich said.

"Bizarre is the kindest term I could use," Heimrich said. "We find it unacceptable and we're really angry and upset. This is beyond the pale."

The screed, which also accuses Brandes' daughters of marrying Caucasian men "to assist in ensuring their half-breed children have 'straight noses,' in order to be accepted into non-Filipino society," is "unusual" in its venomous nature, Donaldson said.

"It's an odd letter and we're looking at all the legal aspects of it," Donaldson said. "It's the first one of this nature, here, I think. Evidence of racism appears throughout the country from time to time and, unfortunately, we're seeing it here with this letter. But it's very rare and surprising to see it here, in American Canyon, with its very diverse community."

Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at RachelVTH.